


Speak and Be Heard

by ambiguously



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Extra Treat, F/F, Language Barrier, Trick or Treat: Chocolate Box
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-05 04:22:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12182805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambiguously/pseuds/ambiguously
Summary: Leia and her friends pick up an extra passenger on Tatooine.





	Speak and Be Heard

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shiningstar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiningstar/gifts).



"She's spooky," Han says the moment Oola has closed the door.

Leia sighs. "She's not spooky. She's traumatized. Who knows how long Jabba had her?" She turns to Lando, who shrugs. He understands enough Twi'leki to know their extra passenger's name, and Leia understands enough to translate her request not to be returned to Ryloth, and that's the end of their abilities. The girl can't read or write, and she won't talk to Threepio. They'll have to wait until they reach Home One to know what she wants.

It's obvious what she doesn't want. Oola has accepted Lando isn't still one of Jabba's lackeys but she wants nothing to do with him or Han, or even make eye contact with them. She isn't frightened of Chewbacca though she's obviously not comfortable around him, either. Luke's off running an errand with Artoo.

"Spooky," Han repeats, and wanders over to the small galley. He's twitchy, too, as twitchy as their new friend. The carbonite sickness is passing slowly, easing with the familiarity of his ship and the comfort of his friends. He hasn't seen the ship's stores in his six months of enforced slumber, and he stares blinking at the contents now. Oola isn't the only traumatized one. Leia's lucky she made it out unharmed herself, her own bounty hunter disguise lasting until their plan went into motion. Otherwise she might be just as wide-eyed and lost.

"Hey," she says to Lando, "why don't you show Han what you and Chewie have done with the ship?"

Han spins. "What do you mean, 'done with'? What did you do to my girl?"

Lando holds his hands up with a warm smile, while Leia slips by Han, picking out a few things from the storage cabinet. They're about to start arguing, which will do Han a world of good. Lando gives her a quick look, and she knows he's in on her plan.

"All we did was make a few improvements," Lando says.

Leia makes her way to Oola's cabin. She presses the door chime while Han raises his voice from the galley. There's no answer inside. Leia sighs and lets herself in. She's not surprised that the other woman is tensed up as she enters, backing into the corner between the bunk and the wall. The tension eases away when Oola sees that Leia is alone.

"Hi. I thought you might be hungry." She sets down the food. It's not the greatest celebratory feast they've had after a victory, just hard rations that travel well and keep a long time. Oola watches her curiously, not taking the food.

"Our droid is pretty nice if you give him a chance. No one here will hurt you. All right?" She waits for a response, anything. Oola looks at the food again, and understanding moves over her face. She picks up the tray and offers it to Leia, dropping her head subserviently.

"No, don't." Leia takes her hands, gently setting the tray back down. She picks up a rations bar and places it into Oola's hand. "This is for you. if you're hungry. It's okay if you don't want food right now."

Leia grabs another bar and opens it, taking a bite. Oola finally catches on and with darting eyes, she opens the bar in her hands and devours it. Leia smiles. "Dinner."

"Dinner," Oola repeats in a thick Rylothian accent. That's a start.

"Do you speak any Basic?" Leia asks without hope, and the blank look she receives confirms her original belief. Leia knows plenty of Twi'leks but all of them speak the same languages she does. Leia runs through greetings in a few other tongues, but she can read more than she can understand aurally. She's always had a protocol droid nearby for the rest. Her father used Threepio for years, among a number of other droids. The memory makes her sad, as it always does when she thinks about home.

She sits on the edge of the bunk. After a moment, so does Oola. "I never thanked you for helping us back on Tatooine. That had to be difficult, not knowing if you could trust us." She smiles, and it earns her a shy smile back. "We're on our way to rejoin the fleet. We've got friends there who can talk with you. Other women, if that's easier for you." She sighs. "We might have to bring you along with us for a while, though. Plans are moving forward. Sorry to tell you this, but you may have joined the Rebellion by accident."

Oola says something. Leia blinks. She doesn't speak more than a few words of Huttese herself but she's heard it enough to pick out phrases. She nods vigorously, encouraging her to keep talking. Leia can understand gratitude, and freedom. Leia repeats that word back to her, savoring it.

Freedom. Oola can't say much, not that Leia can comprehend, but she can say she wants in.

"Welcome to the Alliance," she says, taking her hand. To her astonishment, Oola leans in and kisses her.

"Hey," Leia says, not moving away, not wishing to startle her but more concerned with not giving her the wrong idea. "Freedom is free. You don't owe us anything for it." She tries to say the words in the gutteral language they both understand.

Oola shakes her head. "Freedom," she says in Basic. "Choose." She kisses Leia again, and Leia gets it at last.


End file.
